Spring on the double at Ravensdale Lodge.

It was a case of "it doesn't rain but it pours" at Ravensdale Lodge over the last two weekends as the cobwebs were well and truly blown away after the winter break and the enforced cancellations due to the artic conditions in December and January. The ponies appeared in their droves for the pony spring tour on Saturday 19th February while the horses flocked to the facility a week later for the centres "Chippison" spring tour weekend.

Proceedings kicked off on Saturday 19th February with the third leg of the Connolly Red Mills Pony Spring Tour which had been kindly sponsored by O' Reilly Wholesalers Newry. The show commenced with the 128cm 90cm class where Fionn Clarke slotted into first and second place on his fathers Lenamore Mini Metro and Alloy in times of 24.28 and 25.51 seconds respectively, third in the class was Jason Foley on Flying Star who stopped the clock on 26.62 seconds. The first of the spring tour classes, the 128cm 1m was next up and Cormac Foley riding Little Jack Spratt was fastest, going clear in a time of 30.03 seconds, second in the class was Hannah O' Shea on Micky Bo, this combination stopping the clock on 32.20 seconds while Jack Foley riding Sparkel slotted into third place in a time of 32.93 seconds. The 138cm 1m class, the warm up for the 138cm spring tour was next up for decision and Sophie Mills riding Emerald Kylie won the class by the narrowest of margins stopping the clock on 30.22 seconds, Harry Evans and Lynncot Montana came in second a fraction behind on 30.50 seconds while Stephen Murphy and Banagher Quick was third with only fractions of a second splitting the placeing's on 30.99 seconds. The 138cm 1.10m spring tour class was next and this one was won by Nathan Evans on Ballindooley Queen in a time of 27.67 seconds, second in the class was Rachel Houston riding her fathers Woodfield Superstar in a time of 29.32 seconds while Matthew Mc Sorley stopped the clock on 29.62 seconds riding Dooneens Coolala Boy. It was the turn of the 148cm ponies next and the first class in this height category was the 1m class which was not timed, Sophie Patterson on I'm a Tom Boy, Casey Webb on Future Lady, Kelly Taggart on Charlie Riddle, Jeremy Sweetnam on Spartacus Cavalier and Stephanie Mc Ivor did not trouble the judges and all went clear to divide the class between them. The 148cm 1.10m warm up class was won by Ireland's Pony team silver medallist Tom Foley riding Joaquin Phoenix, this pairing going clear in a time of 24.34 seconds, second in the class were Kirsten Farr and Cwmdwy Fran Narson Dyisyll who came home in a time of 25.26 seconds, Hannah Power was third in this class coming home clear on her fathers Flash Bobby, the combination stopping the clock in a time of 26.82 seconds. The final class of the day was the final Connolly Red Mills Spring Tour Class, the 148cm 1.20m and this was won by Kerry Taggart and Dream Cruise, the combination coming home with over two seconds to spare in a time of 37.03 seconds. Matt Garrigan riding Dr Spot slotted into second place coming home clear in 39.40 seconds while third in the class went to Paraic Kenny riding Castle Hill Clover clear in a time of 40.23 seconds.

Spring had well and truly come the following weekend with Ravensdale Lodge looking its best bathed in sunshine. The weekend show started on Saturday 26th February when four classes were up for grabs, three of the classes had a €100 bonus attached once again for anyone who might win the corresponding class on both days. The first 1m class was won in fine style by young rider Edel Kelly riding her own Coolnareena Forest in a time of 28.56 seconds, this pairing had travelled from Cork and stayed the weekend at the centre and the win was just reward for their efforts. Second in the class was Feaha Moore riding Claire Z clear in a time of 32.19 seconds while Vi Young slotted into third on her own Reika Ker CH stopping the clock in a time of 35.59 seconds. The ACC Bank sponsored 1.10m class was won by Aileen Mc Dermott riding her own Kilcor Amber, the winning time was 26.60 seconds. Second in this class was Monaghan rider Eddie Mulligan partnering his own Master Lux clear in a time of 32.14 seconds while northern rider Michael Beattie started his run of placings by slotting into third place own his own Tamora in a time of 33.39 seconds. The third class, the Bellurgan Service Station sponsored 1.20m was won by in form young rider Gerard Clarke jnr riding Coldbrook Tigger home clear to stop the clock on 23.19 seconds, second in this class was Suzanne Posnett riding her own Karmijn clear on 24.76 second, third in the class was Dean Bell riding his own Unique, they stopped the clock on 26.72 seconds. The last class of the day, the Mc Caughey 24 hour Service Station sponsored 1.30m class was won by the pairing of Dermott Lennon and Alverez in a time of 31.90 seconds, local rider Tara Dunne was second in the class on her mother Siobhan's Touched Up, this pairing having a very good sixth place finish in the Chippison Grand Prix in Cavan last weekend stopped the clock in a time of 33.78 seconds. Third in the class was Michael Beattie on his own Walmore Sport in a time of 34.08 seconds.

Sunday 27th February saw another bright sunny day and competition once again kicked off at the centre with the 1m class, this one sponsored by Exitex Ireland. Young Cork rider Edel Kelly ensured herself of a good payday when she once again won the class in a time of 30.34 seconds on her own Coolnareena Forest and pocketed the €100 bonus prize which has been kindly sponsored for the past three years by Ronnie Hollinger of Creevagh House Stud as well as the prize money on both days. Second in the class was Feaha Morre and Claire Z who stopped the clock on 33.39 seconds once again as they had finished in the same position on Saturday while third place in the class went to Stuart Byrne riding Corballa Barracuda going clear in 34.04 seconds. The bonus of €100 was also picked up in the M & G Sport Horse sponsored 1.10m class as once again Aileen Mc Dermott won the class on her own Kilcor Amber in a time of 28.16 seconds while Suzanne Posnett came home second on her mother Pamela's Loughnatousa Netski clear and stopping the clock on 31.51 seconds, Sarah Crosbie finished third in the class on HHS Finky in a time of 35.06 seconds. The next class, which was kindly sponsored by Kilronan Equestrian Centre, was the 1.20m class. The winner of this class which was being used by many riders as a warm up for the Grand Prix was Frank Curran riding his fathers Lolita clear in a time of 25.79 seconds, Suzanne Posnett slotted into second and fourth place on her own Karmijn and Ronnie Hollinger's Creevagh Miss Jones in times of 27.88 and 33.02 seconds respectively. Splitting Suzanne's two horses was Sarah Lang riding her own Kingdom warrior clear in the time of 32.61 seconds.

The grand finale of the weekend show at the centre was the 2011 Chippison Spring Tour, which was being sponsored by Ravensdale Lodge. One young rider, Conor Drain has dominated the class for the past two seasons, winning the class on Shanroe Penny in 2009 and Fine Filly in 2010 however Drain would not defend his title due to work commitments abroad so there was guaranteed to be a new winner of the class. A quality field of fifty three of the sixty declared entries went to post for this 1.30m (s) competition and Tom Holden was on hand over the course of the weekend to figure out the challenge he would set in the class. 2010 league champion and winner of the first leg at Kildare International John Floody, Robert Spilane winner of the class last week in Cavan and multiple entries from current National champion Eddie Moloney, current league leader Gerard Clarke jnr and from the army equitation school at Mc Kee barracks ensured a top class competition was guaranteed. 16 of the combinations went clear to face the clock but it took some time for anyone to go clear. In fact it was seven horses into the jump off before National Champion, Eddie Moloney set the competition alight on board Tom Mc Guirk's Macushla R setting a very fast time of 29.40 seconds which was good enough for eventual third. Two horses later Catherine Thornton went clear in a slower time of 30.85 seconds on the consistent Ben Mullier, which slotted her in to fourth place. Another two horses later it looked as if the competition was once again going to be dominated by a young rider from the north, this time Daniel Coyle on Uptown Girl who, like Conor Drain before him effortlessly cut all the corners and took a stride out at impossible fences to shave a couple of fractions of a second off Moloney's time to stop the clock on 29.32 seconds, nothing in it but good enough for first place with only four combinations to go. The next combination, Peter Smyth and Willem had the seventh fence down while Michael White and OMS Wendeliena had fence three on the floor. With two to go it was down to Captain Michael Kelly on one of the two "Foyle" grey's sent up by the Minister of Defence and promising young rider Gerard Clarke jnr on his own Colorado to better the time. It was the former, Captain Michael Kelly riding Lough Foyle that made the breakthrough as the combination set a blistering time of 27.84 seconds, a full second and a half better than the previous best. Three fences into Gerard Clarke jnr's round the competition was over as he rolled a pole to the ground to end up on four faults and a time of 29.88 seconds which put the pairing in the minor placings and so two days after the election of a new government, the ministry of defence captured the purse for first place in the 2011 "Chippison" spring tour at Ravensdale Lodge.

"We were delighted with how the past couple of weeks have gone at the centre" stated Niall Connolly of Ravensdale Lodge. "They are among the busiest weekends of the year and they come along at the same time towards the end of February so it is a busy and pressurised time to get things right. Entries were up for both shows with the Pony Spring Tour in particular returning a good increase on last year, which is nice to see under the current economic circumstances. The work that we put into the centre over the winter has really paid off as the surface jumped really well over both weekends. I would like to thank all our sponsors for their valued support without which we cannot run a successful show and also our staff and everyone who helped make both weekends the successes that they were. I would like to finally congratulate all who competed over the course of the two weeks and in particular Captain Michael Kelly of the army equitation school on his fine win in the "Chippison" Grand Prix".

Spring on the double at Ravensdale Lodge.

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